Defining the style of 2024

In an age as online as the one we live in, people are sharing things with each other across the globe with ease and immediacy, allowing for various items to achieve rapid and sudden success, sometimes seemingly out of nowhere. And whether consciously or not, these major pop culture moments will influence how we style ourselves.

Maybe the biggest cultural phenomenon that happened in 2024 was Brat Summer, which was launched by Charli xcx following the release of her BRAT album. The brat aesthetic is defined by whale tails, smudged eyeliner, and the 2000s clubbing scene, and the influence this had on fashion was obvious. 2024 seemed to be the year of what became dubbed as y2k, which incorporated things from the early 2000s and merged them with the overarching styles that have been popular for the past few years. Think low-waisted, baggy cargo jeans, rhinestone encrusted baby tees, and black studded belts with huge sparkly buckles. 

This aesthetic blew up online and served almost like competition to the almost completely opposite ‘clean girl’ aesthetic. Influencers like Nara Smith crafted this severely manicured image where they had simple makeup, elegant outfits, and cooked dinners with ingredients sourced exclusively from the greengrocers. This aesthetic was not without its criticisms, as influencers would often encourage consumerist behaviour and glamorise a lifestyle that was too expensive or impractical for the vast majority of people.

That being said, a simple and elegant look that managed to still be fun but without the controversy was given to the world via Sabrina Carpenter, who saw a massive rise in success this year. Her viral single ‘Espresso’ skyrocketed her fame, and her retro bedroom chic became something no one could stop thinking about. Aside from her lingerie-inspired looks, perhaps the highlight of her style is her hair and makeup. Her makeup, featuring soft pinks and lots of rosy blush, and her hair, Marylin Monroe blonde with cascading curls, was attempted by hundreds, if not thousands of people. 

Another musical powerhouse who I would be remiss to mention is the incredible Chappell Roan, who I think has the most exciting and talked-about style out of all the musicians I have discussed. Her aesthetic, which blends girly things, like pink and sparkles, queer culture, such as drag, and Western style, with things like cowboy hats and boots, became a defining style inspiration for thousands of people this year. Her red carpet and stage looks were a cultural reset, with her painting herself green to be the Statue of Liberty, or being fully decked out in armour as Joan of Arc. Her cowboy inspired looks in particular seemed to speak to people the most, to the point that I feel like every night out or pop concert has at least one person donning a pink fluffy cowboy hat. 

Chappell Roan’s huge breakthrough also demonstrates just how much people valued whimsy and theatrics, as it was not just the music scene but several movies released this year that greatly emphasised fantasy. Beetlejuice, a few decades on, now found itself with a sequel, with a grown-up Winona Rider now playing the role of a mother. The movie had mixed reviews, but the outfits of the press tour were much more well-received. Jenna Ortega and Winona Rider both wore several outfits that were odes to the original Tim Burton movie, with a standout being Ortega’s red dress, inspired by Lydia Deetz’s wedding dress. 

The movie Challengers also had the actors method-dressing on its press tour, though it seemed to be Zendaya that largely carried this idea. She sported numerous tennis-dresses, or outfits inspired by them, and even at one point wore a pair of shoes with actual tennis balls in them. 

The most talked about press tour of them all, however, was the one for Wicked. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo have been discussing this movie for what feels like years now, and the time has finally come for its release, just in time for Christmas. The movie’s production saw a myriad of bizarre scandals, which perhaps at times overshadowed some of the beautiful clothes the two of them wore during the tour. Grande donned almost exclusively white and pink, with the fabrics and cut of the outfits being mostly very soft and feminine, to match her character, Glinda’s, aesthetic. Erivo, on the other hand, evoked the Wicked Witch of the West through mostly black and some green, her silhouettes being harsh and angular. Her most striking look from the press tour has to be the black gown with the sharp fingers that rose out of the shoulders. 

If I had to summarise what the deal with 2024’s fashion was, I would say it was all about escapism. The shift in how actors now often like to method-dress for movie press tours (which we can probably attribute to the incredible Barbie press tour last year) tells us that there is a lot of fun to be had in dressing up. If I had to forecast some things we may see in 2025, I would say fashion will emphasise the importance of having fun rather than taking your style too seriously – In makeup alone it seems people are tending towards being more over-the-top. I don’t doubt that soon clothing will follow.

Photo Credits: Unplash